Branch and Meng in their article “Global Perspectives on Public Health and Aging” in Public Health for an Aging Society remind us that “Lack of preparation, inadequate public health and public policy development, and understaffed and undertrained medical care providers can have detrimental consequences in population health, as limited health care resources can be easily overwhelmed by the sustained increase in demand because more people are living longer with more chronic conditions.”
How each of us lives during our youth will likely impact how we age. In many instances, we have the ability to prevent and/or delay debilitating chronic diseases. It is in everyone’s best interest to take action to protect the health of older adults.
CDC is at the forefront of promoting healthy aging across the U.S. Every state, jurisdiction, rural community, city, county, and neighborhood in our nation is impacted by an aging populace in one way or another. In the Call to Action in The State of Aging & Health in America 2013 report, CDC details population health strategies that public health and policymakers can implement to improve health outcomes for older adults.
How are you preparing to age with the best health possible? How might families and faith-based institutions, for example, advocate for a built environment that is older adult friendly? What are some initiatives of your state and local government to support the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of older adults?
Story originally published here.
What Does Healthy Aging Mean? was originally published on blackdoctor.org
